The Benefit of Gravel in Backyard Ponds

There is the obvious aesthetic value---your pond will look more natural if you have varying sizes of rocks and gravel inside the waterfeature. But how about thinking of it as a filter, too. If you are using gravel in your pond, whether intentionally as filtration or because you like how it looks, you must treat it and consider it as a form of filtration because that is what it is going to do.

Why Gravel?

Filtration systems are designed to remove something specific. The mechanical filtration system, for example, will remove large debris and prevent the pump from getting clogged. The gravel filtration system, much like the biological filtration system) will break down sediment and waste by use of millions of microbes (beneficial bacteria…also know as that stuff you should be adding weekly to the pond).

Beneficial bacteria grows all over the gravel in forms of colonies (same way it does in your biomedia in your "top box"). Gravel has an almost immediate impact on water clarity, and then it goes to work on water quality because the tiny microbes eat at the tiny particles that are in your water. The more space you allow beneficial bacteria to colonize, the better chance your pond has at staying in balance. 

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Gravel Cleaning:

Of course, like any type of filter it needs to be cleaned or it loses its filtering ability. We recommend cleaning your gravel every Spring in the Central Pennsylvania area, as old beneficial bacteria dies off over the winter and needs removed from the pond, so as to make room for more beneficial bacteria (sounds simple, right?). The cleaning of the rocks and gravel also removes poor water conditions from the pond, as explained in this more thorough Spring Cleaning blog.

We often hear people exclaim that when they tried adding gravel it was too hard to clean and it got mucky looking. Cleaning it in the spring with a pressure washer makes the job easier and during summer, remember: dirty rocks means it is doing its job. If a filter did not get dirty, then it is not filtering right? Yes, gravel will get dirty, so maintain it, clean it and let it continue to do its job. If you don’t clear your gravel, it will get so jammed packed and cluttered with debris. If you really neglect it you will cause your water quality to suffer.

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So What Now?

Gravel filtration for ponds is an effective, inexpensive and low maintenance method of filtering a pond ++++ it makes your pond look more natural (that’s a bonus!!!). Pond filtration works best when many types of filtration is working together—mechanical, biological and gravel! Dreamscapes carries a full line of pond supplies from water treatments and fish medications to pond pumps, heaters, fountains, plants and fish! Tadpoles and snails are also available at our Aquatic Retail Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania seasonally while supplies last from May-August.  If you think you need it, we have it!

Retail Hours:  April 5th-October 27th 2018:
                           Monday-Wednesday: By Appt
                           Thursday-Friday: 10am-5pm
                           Saturday: 9am-12pm
                     October 28th-April 2019: HOURS BY APPT


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2155 State Route 343, Lebanon Pa | 717-272-6555 | [email protected]
Dreamscapes Watergardens services koi ponds and waterfalls in the city of Lebanon, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Cornwall, Fredericksburg, Indiantown Gap, Jonestown, Kleinfeltersville, Mount Gretna, Myerstown, Newmanstown Palmyra, Quentin, Reistville, Richland, Schaefferstown of Pennsylvania, PA